South across the road lay one of the West's historic "hoof highways," used annually from 1885 until 1971 to drive sheep and cattle to and from the railroad at Magdalena, New Mexico, or to Springerville, Arizona. The driveway was 5 to 10 miles wide and covered 200 square miles. In the peak trailing year of 1919, 150,000 sheep and 21,600 cattle passed this point. In the 1930's, the Civilian Conservation Corps fenced the driveway and drilled water wells every 10 miles. During the drives, cowboys and herders moved cattle about 10 miles a day and sheep about 5 miles, allowing them to graze as they went, while chuckwagons and relays of horses followed behind. Trailing eventually gave way to trucking, and the last portion of the driveway was officially closed in November of 1971.